Mistletoe and Red Wine
by tromana
Summary: One of Santa's elves has been killed - and Jane and Lisbon are trying to teach each other the spirit of Christmas. Written for Frogster in the Paint It Red 2011 Gift Exchange.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **So, I haven't completed disappeared off the planet. I have a lot to start posting within the next month or so, which'll be exciting for me. This first piece was written for the lovely Frogster as part of the Paint It Red Gift Exchange. I hope you all enjoy it, it was fun to write despite being somewhat out of my comfort zone.

x tromana

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><p><strong><strong>Title: <strong>**Mistletoe and Red Wine**  
><strong>Author: <strong>**tromana**  
><strong>Rating:<strong>** T**  
><strong>Characters: <strong>**Jane/Lisbon, team**  
><strong>Summary:<strong>** One of Santa's elves has been killed - and Jane and Lisbon are trying to teach _each other_ the spirit of Christmas.**  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>**Not mine.**  
><strong>Spoilers:<strong>** Up to 4x06 Where In The World Is Carmine O'Brien**  
><strong>Notes:<strong> **Written for Frogster in the Paint It Red Gift Exchange 2011 and Table I for mentalistprompt.

**Mistletoe and Red Wine**

**Part One**

"Ugh."

It wasn't a particularly dignified noise, nor did Teresa Lisbon care. As far as she was concerned this was ridiculous. Thanksgiving had literally only just passed and yet, the supposed Christmas spirit was already being rammed down their throats. Sometimes, it felt like there was barely time to breathe between one crazy season and the next. It was all an excuse for the shops to force people to spend, spend, spend money they didn't actually have on things they didn't actually need. Christmas, like most of the commonly celebrated and especially, the commercial holidays, was but one day a year. There was no need for it to last for two months.

Sometimes, she believed it was a shame that other people didn't share that principle.

"What? Don't you like the holidays, Lisbon?"

"Shut up, Jane."

"Someone's feeling touchy today," he replied, sniffing slightly.

"You _know_ I don't mind Christmas it's just," she trailed off slightly as she gathered her thoughts. "Now? It's all too early."

"And here I was, thinking that you were turning into the Grinch."

"Yeah, right."

"It would be a shame," he admitted, smirking as he did, "that one so young had already lost her Christmas spirit, before the season had even truly begun."

She punched him lightly in the arm and smiled when he winced in response. Really, Lisbon knew she shouldn't have done it, least of all in a public area, but she didn't care. Jane was right; she was in a foul mood. She hadn't slept well the night before; it hadn't helped that Tommy had called her at some unholy hour, begging that she took care of Annabeth this weekend. And of course, Tommy had had to mention the dreaded phrase 'Christmas shopping', hadn't he?

"That's battery!"

"I'd like to see you make it stand up in court," she answered back quickly. "After all you've put me through…"

"What? Like what?"

Instead of answering, she just shook her head. They were nearly at their destination; the Santa's grotto. Naturally, she wouldn't normally head anywhere near the place. Her nieces and one nephew had all grown too old to believe in Old Saint Nick, so the place held little appeal. Except on this occasion, of course, this refuge of childhood innocence had been desecrated with murder. Somehow, the thought made her feel uncomfortable, and that was without having even seen the body yet. It was a shame whenever children were exposed to such cruelty in the world. Nobody young deserved to have their innocence stripped away from them and that was a feeling she understood all too well.

The mall's representative looked particularly stressed when he approached her. That was hardly surprising; this was a PR disaster. If the murder had happened during the early hours of the morning, before it had opened, then it would have been better. Not ideal, as death never was, but better. Instead, the victim had apparently dropped down dead in front of several traumatized children and a gaggle of shocked - and irate - parents.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," he said, with rushed undertones as he shook Lisbon and Jane's hands firmly. "Arden O'Hanlon, I'm the general manager. It's this way."

Jane shrugged at Lisbon as they fell into step behind O'Hanlon. With a scowl, Lisbon pushed aside the blue plastic, meant to denote a snowy and icy scene, in order to access the inner sanctum of Santa's grotto. The place was deserted now, aside from the body of the deceased. Lisbon knew that Cho and Rigsby were en-route, as was the coroner. As far as she knew, all three would be present within ten minutes. Genuinely, she hoped so. The sooner the girl could be removed to a morgue, the better. Not just for the sake of those running the mall, but out of respect for the victim herself as well.

"This is a disaster, a disaster, I tell you," he said, shaking his head as he looked at the body. "The amount of money we're going to have to offer as compensation…"

"Is that all that's important to you?" Jane snapped angrily. "Money? A girl has _died_ here. Children outside are sobbing because they saw one of Santa's elves collapse and all you're concerned about is revenue?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't you think there are more important things to be worried about?"

"Jane…" Lisbon said warningly.

"This isn't just any old girl either, this is one of your _employees_. Have a little decency!"

"Jane!"

"How dare you?" the man growled angrily. "You're meant to be a state agent; if you don't desist, I'll report you to your supervising agent."

"That would be me," Lisbon answered sharply, holding up one finger to remind the pair she was still present. "And he is not an agent, just a consultant. The CBI cannot be held responsible for Mr. Jane's outbursts and I can only apologize…"

"Jane? As in Patrick Jane? The one who killed Red John?"

"That's me."

"And he's working for the government, in a crime investigation agency?" O'Hanlon spluttered, gob-smacked at this latest development. "What kind of lunacy is this?"

"He's one of the best tools we've got. Now if you don't mind…"

"Actually, I do mind."

Jane opened his mouth to speak, but Lisbon gave him a warning glare. It was obvious that their first point of contact was already angry enough, without Jane continuing to wind him up any further. She was relieved when he actually got the message and clamped his mouth tightly shut. If Jane wasn't careful, this was a lawsuit waiting to happen. No, scratch that, she could already see herself being reprimanded by their young boss, who really didn't understand what he'd let himself in for. Just one day, she would have liked to have had a chance to actually get along with her superiors, instead of having Jane screwing it up for her before she even had a chance to try.

Not that working with Jane didn't have its benefits. If it didn't, she would have long since gotten out of the situation. She wouldn't have willingly walked back to him time and time again, either. Sometimes, Lisbon had to question her own sanity. She knew full well that Patrick Jane wasn't the most stable of individuals and she was more than aware of just how many negative repercussions he had had on her career. The amount of times he had nearly cost her her job already meant that there had to be more of a reason for her to continue putting up with him than just the simple fact he closed cases.

Deep down, she knew there was. And it wasn't just his charming, charismatic personality either.

But that was besides the point. Right now, she had a case to solve and more immediately, an argument to mediate.

"Jane has been cleared of all charges; he has no criminal convictions and therefore, is more than capable of working for the CBI."

"Thank you, Lisbon."

"Whatever."

"If _I_ were on the jury, I'd have made sure you burned in hell," O'Hanlon stated angrily and Lisbon cringed. That was not the point she had been attempting to make. "But I assume I have little choice in the matter."

"I assure you, Mr. Jane will be on his best behavior, won't you Jane?"

Naturally, he didn't answer. He was already crouching over the dead body, clearly disinterested in the conversation. Just so long as he didn't actually touch her, Lisbon didn't mind. The coroner still hadn't arrived and she didn't want to be making excuses to yet another person on Jane's behalf. She swore that the day she heard him apologize to a member of the public - and mean it - that she would faint in shock. After all, it seemed like Jane believed her job was solely to pick up the pieces after he left. And because she was so good at it, that was why he had been desperate to ensure she kept her position within the CBI.

"Jane!"

"Huh? Oh yes, whatever she said."

She narrowed her eyes slightly as Jane stood up. With a somewhat devilish smile, he turned to face O'Hanlon again and Lisbon could just tell he was up to mischief. There was a certain look in his eyes, a spark which just screamed 'trouble'. The sooner that Rigsby, Cho and the coroner arrived, the better. Then, she could pull him out of this farce before he caused even more spectacular damage. Nervously, she watched as Jane pointed his index finger at O'Hanlon, not in a threatening gesture, just one of slow, dawning realization.

"You."

"Excuse me?"

"The costumes, they were your idea, yes?"

"Well, yes, but what are Santa's elves without elf costumes?"

"Do they really need to be so risqué?" Jane asked, keeping his tone light.

"They attract a wider audience!"

"Yes, I'm sure pre-teens really appreciate seeing that much leg on display."

"I meant the _fathers_ of said pre-teens."

"Oh yes, the fathers, of course."

Lisbon coughed, not because she needed to clear her throat but to remind the men that she was indeed still trapped in this rather cramped grotto with them. The battle of wills was growing a little thin already, especially as O'Hanlon had taken an immediate dislike to Jane. She didn't entirely blame the man; if anything had happened to one of her subordinates and she found an almost-criminal working the case, then she would have been horrified. Except, she knew and understood Jane and therefore, it was much less of an issue to her. But if she hadn't known him…

"Can we stick to the _useful _facts, please? Like our vic's name, age, date of birth?"

"Boss?"

"Hey, Rigs," she said, turning to face him, Cho and the coroner, Pat. "Glad you could finally make it. Well?"

O'Hanlon paled slightly when Lisbon faced him once more. "Her name's Amie Stevens. Nineteen. Still lives with her mom and dad."

"Address?"

"I'll go get it for you."

"I'd like a list of all of your employees who have access to the grotto, too," she added after he took two steps away from her. "Starting with those who are working today."

"Ma'am."

With O'Hanlon temporarily off the scene, she pulled Jane aside while Pat got on with her work. The sooner they could get the body away, the sooner O'Hanlon would calm down. Then, he would be able to get Santa back in his place and therefore, get back to business. The man obviously didn't care that it was a crime scene. He was just worried that each minute they took to do their job cost him money, especially given the fact he still had a long queue of angry parents to placate over the death.

"What's your problem?" she asked and Jane shrugged. "No, don't tell me. He irks you."

"Yes. Something about his eyes. They're too wide-set."

"Next you'll be telling me he should be our number one suspect."

"Why not? They say there's no such thing as bad publicity."

"Yes, because parents would really take their kids to a Santa's grotto where one of the elves has been…"

"Poisoned," Cho supplied, joining them outside.

"That what Pat said?"

"Yes."

Lisbon sighed. Going by the brief description of the crime they had received before she had even arrived, it was what she suspected. Jane had been encouraging her to follow her hunches of late and therefore, she hadn't completely disregarded it. Besides, there weren't many other things that could cause a young girl to drop down dead without a violent weapon involved. Still, until she had received confirmation that Amie had been poisoned, she couldn't have entirely written off underlying health problems or the like. It wouldn't have been the first time that somebody had suspected a murder, when really, it was just an innocent and tragic turn of events. In a way, it saddened her that it was poison. It meant that she now had to go and tell some distraught parents that the CBI was now on the lookout for their daughter's killer.

"Guess we need to find the source then."

"I'd start with her lunchbox," Jane offered quickly, "unless this is the kind of place where people steal each other's food…"

"No, really?" Lisbon answered back, quick as a shot. "Thank you Jane, for your concise and well-thought out insight. We'd never have considered that without you."

"Yes, I was right. You're definitely feeling touchy today," Jane said with a grin. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Aiming to post this fairly quickly as I have so much to post next month. I probably won't even post it all. I apologise to anyone subscribing to me in advance; January is going to be an especially busy month. Yay, fic backlog.

Thank you to: Frogster, anthropologist and TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme for reviewing part one.

x tromana

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><p><strong>Part Two<strong>

It didn't take long for O'Hanlon to supply Lisbon with the details she needed to get out of that mall. Quite frankly she was relieved. There were only so many Christmas carols and songs you could hear before the supposed season of goodwill without being driven slowly, but surely insane. If she heard Jingle Bells one more time within the next twenty-four hours, she knew she couldn't be held accountable for her own actions. If it was two weeks into December, then she would have found the situation more tolerable, but it wasn't.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…"

"Jane!"

"What?"

"Don't you even think about it," she growled back at him.

"Think about what?"

"Singing that damn song."

"What, Jingle Bells?" he asked, with mock-innocence.

"Yes!"

"But it's stuck in my head!" he answered back, as if it were some kind of justification.

"Something else will be stuck in it too, if you're not careful," she threatened, though they both knew she didn't really mean it.

"I think someone needs a coffee."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really," he answered back. "We can't have you taking this back to the Stevens family home. They'll be getting enough bad news as it is."

"Fine," she acquiesced, less reluctantly than she would care to admit to. "But only if you're paying."

She allowed Jane to take her by the arm and drag her to the nearest Starbucks. Cho and Rigsby had already disappeared towards security, to have a look at the videotapes of the incident. Lisbon quietly hoped that the pair of them wouldn't notice herself and Jane taking a break when she had instructed them to work quickly and efficiently. After all, it did appear to be horrendously hypocritical. It didn't make good business practice either; she couldn't have one rule for herself, as the boss, and another for her subordinates. So, her team had made it clear repeatedly that they were pleased to have her back, but that didn't mean she had the right to abuse her authority either.

Still, she refused to relax until they were safely ensconced around a table at the back of the café. Jane knew that she wanted to get on with work in reality, but he was also more than aware of the fact she did need to calm down. That was why he had persuaded her to take five minutes for herself and she had given up so easily. It just made sense. Sometimes, she did push herself harder than she needed to and forgot about her own welfare, but that wasn't entirely her fault. Lisbon was desperately trying to impress the new management, show Wainwright that she didn't need his expertise. She had been in the business for far longer than he had and therefore, she was somewhat skeptical about anything he had to say. However, she also knew it wasn't just Wainwright keeping his beady eyes on her, but the rest of the management too. She was never meant to return to her position in the CBI after Timothy Carter had been gunned down by Jane. She had always meant to be the scapegoat, the sacrificial lamb. The one who had to give up everything just to make it appear that there had been some repercussions. Instead, she was stuck with the lingering resentments and the heavy skepticism about whether or not she was actually capable of doing her job effectively.

Jane was quick to bring her back her coffee - black, with one sugar. Just how she usually took it in the morning. Then again, she knew that she shouldn't expect anything less; Jane's attention to detail was second to none. It was also something she found herself resentful about on occasion. Yes, hers had improved, but that didn't mean she couldn't wish she was better. After all, it was a matter of principle. She hated the fact that time and time again he showed her up. They had closed cases before he arrived and when he eventually left, they would continue to do so after. Or, at least, she hoped that was the case. Briefly, she glanced in Jane's mug and as she expected, it was some weird tea blend. He never drank coffee; in fact it was probably impossible to even encourage him to try it.

"Ah, lovely," he remarked with a smile. "Shame they don't do a Christmas tea blend, don't you think?"

"Would there be a demand?" she asked dubiously.

"Well I just suggested it, so I'd say yes."

"Yeah, but you probably drink twice the amount of tea that everyone else in Sacramento does put together."

"I sincerely doubt that."

"I don't."

She sipped quickly at her coffee, glad to finally have some caffeine entering into her system. Sometimes, she did wonder if she had a bit of a caffeine problem, it was a drug, after all. However, as far as she was concerned, it was essentially harmless and it did mean she could do her job better. Besides, she was already beginning to feel a little calmer and more awake, despite still being able to hear the Christmas songs in the distance. Still, they couldn't stay in place for long. Relaxing like this wouldn't solve the case and it wouldn't bring about justice for poor Amie Stevens' family. They sat in a companionable silence, doing little more than drinking. Lisbon was somewhat surprised that Jane hadn't chosen to grill her about her supposed dislike for the holiday season and she was glad of it. Really, he should have known by now that it was something she didn't mind in small - very small - doses.

"I'm just getting a cookie to go. Do you want one?"

Automatically, she opened her mouth to retort, but instead closed it just as quickly and shook her head. There was no point in trying to argue with Jane about getting a move on. Instead, he would probably have suggested that she needed to eat in order to keep up her energy levels. That if she didn't, she'd be more likely to collapse and therefore, of no use to anybody. Still, she had to be a little concerned about Jane, or at least, more so than usual. It seemed like he couldn't settle for some reason, that he always had to be on the move. Then again, it wasn't an entirely unusual state for him to be in, but at the same time, it didn't happen all that often either. As he handed his money over to the cashier, she downed the rest of her drink.

"Someone seems a little over stimulated," Lisbon said lightly when he returned, "you didn't eat all your Halloween candy in one go this morning, did you?"

"Eh, Halloween was ages ago; why would you think a thing like that?"

"Knowing you, you were probably saving it for a rainy day."

"An interesting theory, but I can see at least one problem with that."

"What?"

"It isn't raining," Jane answered, stating the obvious.

"I meant it figuratively."

"I know."

She rolled her eyes as she climbed into the driver's seat. This was always the part of the job Lisbon hated the most, telling the family. Until that fateful knock on the door, everything was fine for them, a normal day. And then, they are morally obliged to barge in and shatter their world into pieces. It's a feeling she understood all too well. She can remember, clear as day, the moment when two police officers turned up on the doorstep with somber expressions to say her mother had died in a fatal collision. She also appreciated the idea of knowing that the case was in good hands, that something was being done about it, and could only hope that the victims could see things in the same way.

Then again, this morning had been a wake up call. She'd become complacent about the general public's acceptance of the CBI of late. Ever since her recovery and her and Jane's reinstatement with the Serious Crimes Unit, things had been going surprisingly well. They hadn't come across anybody like O'Hanlon before. The Red John case had been highly televised, naturally, and it was still on everybody's lips. Lisbon knew that she should have expected that sooner or later, they would come across someone who would disagree with the jury's decision on that fateful day. In a way, she almost considered it a shame that it hadn't happened sooner, then she wouldn't have been quite so oblivious, heading into the mall.

"Why does gingerbread always taste so much nicer at this time of year?"

"I don't know, Jane," she answered, in a somewhat insufferable tone. "Why do you think that is?"

"Maybe it has something to do with Santa and his elves?"

"I seriously doubt that."

"Oh please, you have to believe there's _some_ magic in the world."

"I do," she retorted, not bothering to look at him as she drove sedately. "I just don't believe it can be found in mass-marketing and commercialism."

"That makes you sound obscenely boring and cynical."

"What's new there then?" she quipped.

"Touché," Jane admitted and took another bite. "Except, my dear, you're not as boring as you think you are. You just need to lighten up a little."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. And I'm sure Annie would appreciate it more."

Lisbon balked slightly at the mention of her niece. She hadn't told Jane that she had an impending visit from Tommy's daughter. Then again, she herself hadn't known about it until three am this morning, so she'd barely had time to tell anybody else, never mind Jane. Then again, he spent so much time reading and psychoanalyzing people, even those he'd known for years, that it didn't come as much of a surprise. He must have noticed her heightened lack of sleep or her mentally planning which shops to take Annie to on Saturday. Or something like that, anyway.

"What time does she arrive?"

"Not til tomorrow night."

"Ah," he answered, with a satisfied smile. "Looking forward to seeing her again?"

With a noncommittal shrug, Lisbon parked up outside the Stevens residence. It hadn't taken them long at all to get there; a mere ten minutes or so. Mentally, she made a note of that. It suggested that Amie generally walked to work; there was no point in using public transport or a car. There could be something in that; maybe her killer had targeted her on the way to or from work? After all, a young woman, walking around in that kind of an outfit was always going to draw unwanted attention.

"It'll be fine," Jane said, touching her lightly on the arm. "Really."

"But what a time of year to lose a daughter," she whispered.

"Your mom died around this time of year didn't she?"

"Kid slipped on a patch of ice, couldn't regain control of the car," she muttered quietly, surprising herself as she did so. "It couldn't be helped."

"Yes, it could. He could have avoided alcohol before driving in dangerous conditions."

She didn't answer him and instead, knocked on the door. Her mom's death was ancient history and Lisbon wished that Jane hadn't made that connection. Though they had briefly touched upon her family history previously, she had never gone into such depths with Jane before. And yet, this time around, it felt right to do so. They had been through so much together of late, that there was no point in her even attempting to hide secrets from him now. Jane would just find out about them sooner or later.

It wasn't long until a petite woman with a short, blonde bob answered the door. In her arms was a small, squirming baby boy, dressed in a blue romper suit. The woman looked at them searchingly, trying to figure out who they were. Lisbon let out a quiet sigh; this was it. This was the moment when another family's hopes and dreams were going to be destroyed.

"Can I help you?"

"Agent Teresa Lisbon and this is Patrick Jane," Lisbon said and flashed her badge as she did so. "Can we come in for a word?"

"What's he done?"

"I'd prefer to speak in private, if that's-"

"If that brat has done something wrong, I'd prefer it if you told me right here and now."

"Your daughter has been found murdered," Jane said, noticing the look in Mrs. Stevens' eyes. "Can we come in now?"

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **If the posting rate is getting too much for people, let me know and I can slow it down a bit. As previously said, I have a scarily high amount of 'things to post' this month and I don't want to be too overbearing, especially to those who have +alerted me. So, let me know somehow. Reviews always work. ;-)

Thank you to: autumnxwinds, Frogster, anthropologist, TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme, Aeidhryn and Miss Peg for reviewing part two.

x tromana

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><p><strong>Part Three<strong>

"What did you do that for?" Lisbon hissed as she and Jane followed Mrs. Stevens through to her lounge. "You know there's better ways of doing that."

"She wasn't going to let you in until you said anything," Jane answered back, just as quietly. "Did you really want to waste time, on her porch, until you were forced to give up?"

"Still, you of all people should understand the concept of breaking that kind of news to someone gently."

Jane didn't answer. They both knew that when he had discovered that his family had been killed, he had been the one to find the bodies. Still, Lisbon had hoped that over the years, he had learned the concept of tact. Then again, it was Jane and she didn't know anyone with less tact than him. He wasn't doing anything he wouldn't ordinarily do and thus, she should have expected it. Instead, she dropped the matter and continued to follow Mrs. Stevens through into the lounge, where the baby was promptly placed into a playpen.

"Can I offer you a cup of coffee?" she asked, her voice sounding distinctly smaller than it had done at the front door.

"No thank you," Lisbon answered politely.

"I'd prefer tea if you have it."

Mrs. Stevens nodded. "The kitchen's through to the left."

Lisbon sat carefully down on the couch and glanced briefly at the baby, who was trying to eat his own fist. She smiled slightly. It reminded her a little of when Annabeth was that age, all gurgling and endearing, rather than cheeky and manipulative. Not that she didn't love her niece dearly, however. It was just, sometimes, she wished that she could be a little less like Tommy was.

"How old is he?"

"Nine months next Thursday."

"He's lovely."

"Thank you."

Quickly, Lisbon dug out her pocket notebook as Jane returned holding two mugs. Immediately, he passed one over to Mrs. Stevens, who accepted it with a stunned silence, before he started making his rounds around the lounge. The woman eyed Jane warily, obviously unsure about having a stranger rifling through her possessions, but Lisbon was used to it. This was just his way of trying to understand what made the family tick, to try and find out if there were any obvious incongruities that he could expose to help further their investigation. Unfortunately, they were usually the kind of secrets that people hoped would remain private. Which just seemed to make it all the more interesting for Jane.

"Tell me about Amie," Lisbon said quietly as Mrs. Stevens sipped at her coffee.

"She's wonderful. The perfect daughter," Mrs. Stevens said proudly and her voice cracked a little, "was. Was the perfect daughter. I'm sorry, it's just..."

Briefly, Lisbon reached out to touch the woman gently. She was relieved when she seemed relatively accepting of the gesture. This was a difficult situation for the woman, especially given the fact that her youngest child was still obviously very small. A new child was always a big upheaval for the family and losing a child in such a shocking manner was another. Lisbon suspected that the Stevens family had just adjusted to one major change, only to have to adjust to another.

"It's okay. Take all the time you need."

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Did she get along with her brother?" Lisbon asked.

"Everyone loved Amie and she was brilliant with Padgett."

"But not her step-brother?" Jane asked, despite the fact he was looking at the family photographs.

"_Nobody_ got along with Tristan."

"Oh, I seriously doubt that," Jane said flippantly and he joined Lisbon on the couch. "He's probably just resentful of the fact that you married his father."

"I think I know my own stepson."

"Your husband always wanted a daughter, didn't he?" he continued blithely and Lisbon watched nervously. He obviously had yet to get rid of all that pent-up energy. "And there she was, a ready-made daughter…"

"Excuse me?"

"Jane, you know, I'd really like that cup of coffee now, if you don't mind making it for me?"

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Stevens replied, balking slightly. "Go ahead, Mr. Jane. Please."

Jane narrowed his eyes at Lisbon slightly, but obeyed the instruction. She didn't really want a coffee and they both knew it. Lisbon was relieved that he took the hint to get out of the room before the woman clammed up entirely. It was obvious that the whole interview process was difficult for her and that Jane was making it all the worse. Still, she knew that he would give her hell for it later, that it was such an obvious distraction for her to use. That was why she had been so stunned by the fact he had actually willingly gone along with it. Usually, if an instruction had such an obvious reason behind it, Jane assumed that it was more of a suggestion than a demand.

Quickly, she rattled through the rest of her questions. How Amie had gotten her job as an elf at the mall, who her friends were, if there was anyone who would be likely to hurt her, excepting her stepbrother. Diligently, Lisbon recorded each and every piece of information down and only paused for thought when it came to the ex-boyfriend. You never knew what exes were capable of, especially if they were the spurned party. However, she didn't even need Jane to come back and place the coffee in her hand to realize that he was far more interested in the brother.

"So," she said as she placed down the coffee. "Do you know why Amie broke up with Henry?"

"She didn't say. She was pretty upset, at the time."

"That's weird, especially if she was the one to instigate the breakup," Jane stated noncommittally.

"Jane…"

"No, no, it's a fair statement," Mrs. Stevens said, though her eyes clearly stated 'this time'.

"She was forced?" Lisbon asked.

The woman shrugged and almost immediately after, the baby started crying. Lisbon froze, but Jane however, rose to his feet even before Mrs. Stevens had a chance to react. They both watched warily as Jane scooped the child out of the playpen, though neither stopped them. Lisbon knew it was fine, that the little boy would be in safe hands. She had seen him interact with children time and time again, and knew just how naturally it appeared to come to him. If she hadn't known him so well, she would have questioned his affinity to children. After all, each and every one must have, in some respect, reminded him of that he had lost.

However, at the same time children represented so much. Youth, hope, innocence. They were all things that even Lisbon knew Jane needed in his life. After losing his family, he had lost everything and had almost chosen to cut out all the positives. She could see that he had changed since he had joined the CBI, that he had slowly but surely warmed to company once more. However, staying in the company of jaded and cynical cops didn't do anywhere near as much good as a new life did. If anything, she knew that her line of work could sometimes bring him down. Yes, they did good and gave people answers, but how often did they actually _save_ lives?

She smiled slightly as Jane babbled nonsense at him and young Padgett slowly settled down. Jane beamed back at Lisbon as he gently bounced the child up and down, soothing him as she did so. As Mrs. Stevens watched the three of them, she relaxed. The baby was safe and a crying fit had been swiftly averted in Jane's expert hands. When the boy had stopped crying entirely, she turned to face the mother once more. Although the sight of Jane with a baby was always very endearing, she still had an interview to conduct. The sooner this was done, then the sooner they could start to put some real effort into finding Amie Stevens' killer.

"I don't know," Mrs. Stevens answered eventually, realizing she still hadn't answered Lisbon's question. "Maybe?"

"By her brother?" Jane questioned.

"Yes, no. I don't know."

"You do, but you don't want to say."

"I think you should pass him to me now," Mrs. Stevens said stiffly, with her arms wide-stretched, ready to take hold of Padgett. "And I think you should leave. It's…"

"Difficult?"

"Yes."

"Thanks for your time," Lisbon said swiftly and caught Jane by the arm after he'd handed the boy over to his mother. "And thank you for the coffee."

Waving stupidly at the baby, Jane stood at the same time as Lisbon did. The raised eyebrow didn't go unnoticed by her. Obviously, he had noticed that she hadn't even bothered to take a sip of the drink he had 'kindly' prepared for her. For a start, she rarely drank when with persons of interest; you never knew and besides, it felt inappropriate. They were there to do a job, not too socialize. And besides, she genuinely hadn't been thirsty; she'd had enough of coffee at the mall, as it was.

They headed straight to the van. Lisbon wanted to get back to the headquarters as soon as possible; she needed Van Pelt to look up the boyfriend, as the girl's mother had been unable to supply them with too many details. As far as she was concerned, along with Amie's coworkers, he was the next person of interest they needed to investigate. Silently, she buckled up and waited for Jane to do the same until she bothered putting the key in the ignition.

"It'll be a sad Christmas for them," Jane said, musing. "The first one's always the hardest. And poor Padgett won't ever know a Christmas with his mom."

"His mom was there," Lisbon said with a frown. "We just _questioned_ her, Jane. Are you sure you're not going crazy?"

"No she wasn't."

"She…" she started, before giving up. "Okay, what did you find out?"

Jane not having a skulk around would have been irregular as Rigsby going off his food, or Cho not having a book stored in the top drawer of his desk. When she had sent him to make her a coffee, Lisbon had anticipated that he would take the opportunity to investigate elsewhere. In a way, when he had returned ten minutes later, she had been surprised at just how well-behaved he'd been. Usually, when he'd discovered something ground-breaking about the family, he proceeded to poke at them until they spilled all. Because of this, she had simply assumed there had been nothing to reveal, and thus, Jane had decided that the family were boring, average people, excepting the brother, of course.

"Oh come on, you can't say you haven't worked it out for yourself."

"If I had, I wouldn't be asking."

"Lisbon…"

"You're not saying that Padgett is actually Amie's son, are you?"

"And the penny finally drops."

If she hadn't been driving, Lisbon would have taken the opportunity to punch him lightly. Instead she mumbled something incoherently about him patronizing her. She knew it wouldn't make any difference, but still.

"And what made you come to that conclusion? Why didn't you ask the mother?"

"Well, it's more of a hunch…"

"I thought you didn't tell me every hunch you had for a reason?"

"I don't. I'm just quietly confident about this one."

"You think it's the reason that Amie and her stepbrother don't get along?"

"Yes."

"I suppose you think we should try and track down Tristan Stevens immediately, then?"

"Well, naturally."

"Tough."

"What do you mean, tough?" Jane asked, surprised.

"We need to go back to headquarters first. Or do you happen to have an address for Tristan Stevens hidden up your sleeve?"

"Well, no."

"Well then," she said lightly.

Jane crossed his arms and slouched back in the seat. She knew that Jane was annoyed at the fact they would have to waste time for this little detour, but it was necessary. Sometimes, he it seemed like he forgot that they did have to do a bit of legwork before they could move on with the case. Besides, it didn't even mean that Tristan was a suspect. All it meant was that he possibly had a reason to dislike his stepsister and they had to ascertain whether or not that was enough to drive him to murder. And Lisbon knew full well that it rarely was, unless, of course, there was another trigger up their sleeves.

"Can we stop off at a Subway first?" he piped up eventually. "I'm hungry."

"You're _always_ hungry."

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Slight delay in updating, sorry. Especially as I said I'd be quick posting this one.

Thanks to: TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme, anthropologist, Ebony10 and Miss Peg for reviewing part three.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Part Four<strong>

"You've brought in the manager," she said flatly.

"It could have been worse," Jane piped up and Lisbon glared at him.

"How?"

"They could have brought in Santa," he answered with a grin. "Imagine how bad that would have looked."

"I don't want to," Lisbon said with a groan.

"Imagine the headlines…"

"That's enough," she said warningly.

Van Pelt was already searching away for clues as to the whereabouts of Tristan Stevens. Lisbon quietly hoped that she would make a breakthrough soon, so that they could interview the boy before the working day was over. For now, there was nothing to do but go and observe Cho questioning Arden O'Hanlon once more. Cho quickly justified bringing O'Hanlon in as they walked over to the interrogation rooms. Apparently, O'Hanlon had been caught tampering with evidence.

If that was the case, and it was an indication of guilt, then maybe they would catch a lucky break and get an arrest within the next hour or so. Then, they wouldn't even need to track down the Stevens kid because the case would be closed.

"What the hell? I want my lawyer," O'Hanlon snapped as Cho entered the room.

"You were caught attempting to destroy evidence by Agent Rigsby and myself," Cho replied quickly. "Things are pretty bad for you. But if you want to do this the hard way, that's fine by me."

"What do you mean?" O'Hanlon asked.

"The longer this interrogation takes, the longer until you'll be back at your mall," he answered, in his typically steady tones. "And I know how much that means to you."

"And what if you charge me for murder?"

"Are you saying you're guilty?"

"No. I just want to know the facts."

"If you're guilty, then you won't be returning at all," Cho said.

Lisbon glanced briefly at Jane, who was studying the pair sitting on the other side of the one-way mirror with a fierce intensity. She was always glad to see him taking his work seriously, after all, he often opted to mess around and cause hassle for her. Then again, she knew he was just trying to ascertain whether or not he believed O'Hanlon to be guilty of murder. Just because he had thought that there was something shifty about the way O'Hanlon looked, it didn't mean he was guilty. Even destroying evidence didn't implicitly imply guilt; it could simply have meant that he was trying to protect somebody else.

"I still want my lawyer," O'Hanlon decided with a firm nod.

"Daddy!" a brunette girl shouted as she ran into the interrogation room. "Julie told me they'd brought you here. Why?"

"Ma'am, we're in the middle of a homicide investigation. If you could…" Cho started, but was soon interrupted.

"You were the one who dragged him here, weren't you?" the girl said, looking at Cho with critical eyes. "He's done nothing wrong."

"And how do you know that?"

"He's my _father_, he wouldn't…"

"Yes, because that's a convincing testimonial," Jane said as he and Lisbon entered the increasing-claustrophobic interrogation room.

"Georgie, I came as quickly as I could. Finding a parking space was a-"

"And who are you?" Lisbon said and she turned to face their newest arrival.

"Juliette Mayer. I'm Georgie's best friend."

"So, what business do you have in here right now?"

"I've come to support her, duh," Juliette stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Ain't that what friends do?"

Rolling her eyes, Lisbon briefly left the room and dragged Van Pelt over. If anyone would be capable of dealing with hyperactive late-teens, it was her. Really, they needed to get rid of both of the girls, so that they could get on. Lisbon made a mental note to have a word with whomever was on security. This was ridiculous; they should have been able to question O'Hanlon in peace and instead, it had been turned into a circus act. Then again, with Jane around, it wasn't that much different to usual.

"If you could leave with Agent Grace Van Pelt, it would be much appreciated," Lisbon said calmly, looking at the two young women. "She will explain exactly what's going on, won't you Van Pelt?"

"Yes, of course. If you could just come-"

"I want to stay," Georgie wailed, "you think my Daddy killed that girl and I have a _right_ to listen."

"What part of _homicide investigation _don't you understand?" Lisbon snapped, sounding far more angry than she intended. "The only way you can help us prove your father's innocence is by letting us question him."

Eventually the girls gave up and followed Van Pelt out and towards another room. Lisbon, along with Jane, left, agreeing to chase up O'Hanlon's lawyer as he was still insisting upon his presence before saying another word. Neither of them were surprised at that; any senior management in his position almost always interacted in the same way. Jane smiled slightly and Lisbon looked at him warily. There was something quite obviously on his mind.

"You're going to say you think he's innocent now, aren't you?"

"No I wasn't," he answered quickly and Lisbon raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Okay, so maybe not entirely. I was going to say I didn't think he was guilty of _murder_."

"If that's the case then why did he-"

She stopped abruptly, mostly because her cell phone was ringing. Raising a single finger to indicate that the conversation wasn't over yet and that Jane just had to be patient, she looked at the screen. Annabeth. It was unusual for her niece to call her. Whenever she did, she was usually after something, like an escape from her parents rowing or money. Either that, or Tommy was in trouble and who else could she contact but Auntie Reese?

"What's wrong, Annabeth?"

"Annie. How many times do I have to tell you? It's-"

"Annie. Yes, I'm sorry."

"No you're not," Annabeth replied, though there was a hint of humor in her voice. "Is it still alright for me to come around tomorrow?"

"Yes, it's fine. Why do you need to ask?"

"Dad told me to check. He heard something about you getting a new case."

"I'm always getting new cases, Annie."

"I know. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No."

"I knew you'd say that."

"Then why did you ask?"

"I've gotta try, haven't I? I thought you'd approve of me looking for work experience."

"The CBI doesn't offer shadowing placements."

"I think they should."

"You tell my boss that."

Lisbon immediately regretted planting that seed into Annabeth's mind. Knowing her niece, she would most likely set up camp in Wainwright's office until he backed down and gave her exactly what she wanted. She was a stubborn soul and didn't take kindly to the word no. Unfortunately, Lisbon understood both of those characteristics all too well, especially given the fact that they were very atypical of the Lisbon family. Still, even though she couldn't say she was entirely pleased about the girl wanting to sell her life to the police force, as she had done, it was good to see that Annabeth was so driven. That was something that would get her far.

"Can I see Patrick Jane when I do?"

"I thought you wanted to go Christmas shopping?"

"_Dad _wants you to take me Christmas shopping," Annabeth clarified and Lisbon sighed. "So, can I see him?"

"I'll see what I can do," Lisbon assured her, though really she meant 'not if I can help it'. "Look, Annie, I'm really busy..."

"Oh yeah. Being badass and catching murderers, yeah?"

"More like interviewing persons of interest and collecting evidence, which then all translates into paperwork. It's not all as glamorous as you make it out to be."

"You still get paid to carry a Glock," Annabeth answered, as if that were the most important aspect of her aunt's job. "See you tomorrow."

Jane was smirking when she finished the call. Despite having heard only one side of the conversation, Lisbon suspected that he knew exactly what Annabeth had been asking based on her responses. He probably already knew that she wanted desperately to see him again, no doubt to be taught more little parlor tricks.

"Annie still wants to be a cop, then?"

"Something like that."

"And you still don't approve."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not there to run her life. If anyone has a say, it's Tommy and even then…""You find it hard, not being in control."

"Shut up, Jane."

"If it's any consolation, I think you're doing a great job at letting go of the reins."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

They fell briefly silent as Lisbon contemplated Jane's opinion. It didn't really matter what he thought of her relationship with her brother and his daughter, but it was still appreciated, in a way. Sometimes, it did help to get somebody else's reassurance, even if that someone else was Jane.

"Well?"

"Well what?" he asked.

"Why did O'Hanlon tamper with evidence if he isn't guilty?"

"Because he's trying to protect someone?"

"One of his employees? His daughter? Santa?"

"Oh please, you don't really think Santa is the killer, do you?"

"He had access and opportunity."

"Motive?"

"You're right, I'm being ridiculous," Jane said as they headed towards the elevator. "So, the stepbrother then?"

"Jane…"

Though Lisbon knew full well that she had a better read on Jane now then she had ever done so before, she still hated the fact she didn't entirely understand him all of the time. If she did, then she would have been able to do her job better and people would stop questioning why Bertram had dared to rehire her. Eventually, she decided it was simply easier to let it go for now. Jane was obviously still in a silly mood and therefore, it was better just to ride the storm.

Jane remained surprisingly quiet when they got into the van. Lisbon didn't mind though. Sometimes it was nice when Jane took a break from the constant barrage of random conversation. She still swore that he had eaten too much candy earlier and when she saw him pull some more out of his jacket pocket, she groaned. As far as she was concerned, he had already had enough and yet, he was about to eat more. Even if she suggested he saved it for later, she knew he would simply ignore her.

"Would you like a candy cane, Lisbon?"

"Really, Jane?"

"It's just candy. It's not going to hurt you," he answered before breaking off a chunk and popping it into his mouth. "Or is this part of the commercial crap that you hate so much about Christmas?"

"Yes, it is."

"I still think this is repressed anger about taking the Santa revelation so badly."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"That it's nearly Christmas once again and you're still refusing to indulge in the festivities."

"One, it's not nearly Christmas, it's still November and two, I'm not refusing to participate. It's just too soon."

"So, if I offer you one in a month's time, it'll be fine then?"

"If I wanted one, then yes."

"Why the discrepancy? They still taste good now."

"Because then they're less special," she explained, with the tone of a parent speaking to a particularly insufferable child. "What's the use if you can get them all year round?"

"Better sales for candy cane makers?" he offered.

"Candy firms generally don't just make candy canes."

"True."

Throughout the rest of the journey, Jane spoke about nothing in particular. The case, her impending visit from Annabeth. At least he had dropped the persistent chatter over her inability to celebrate the holiday season outside of December. It was only destined to be a short journey anyway; Tristan was staying on the opposite side of Sacramento to his family. It was his teenage rebellion, a way of putting a distance between himself and the relatives that were probably, in his opinion, out to ruin his life. No doubt, when he saw her badge, he would assume that they were responsible for setting them on his trail.

"I'd put the rest of that away, if I were you."

"Why?"

"Because we're here."

"Oh."

Carefully, he wrapped the piece of candy up before putting it into his pocket. Lisbon was standing by the front door of the nondescript townhouse before he exited the vehicle. He smiled slightly as she knocked on the door. The case wasn't anything particularly special, but for some reason, he was actually enjoying this one.

"Hey, Lisbon?" he said as she knocked sharply on the door.

"What?"

"Do you think Tristan would want a candy cane?"

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I hate feeling so damn tired.

Thanks to: TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme, Ebony10, anthropologist, Aeidhryn and Frogster for reviewing part four.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Part Five<strong>

"So, why did you leave home?"

"Why do you think?"

Lisbon leaned forward slightly. Yes, she knew she shouldn't necessarily act quite so intimidating in a person of interest's own home, but Tristan Stevens was throwing his barriers up and it was irritating. All she wanted was some simple answers to some _simple _questions. Instead, he was acting as if she had practically already accused him of the murder of his stepsister, simply because she carried a badge and a gun. If he was going to act like that, then of course she was going to be more than a little suspicious. It made her feel like he actually had something to hide, rather than convinced her of his innocence. Then again, as far as she was concerned, there were very few people in the world who didn't have something to hide.

Which was what made her glad she had Jane onside. After all, she would have been foolish to deny that he made her job a hell of a lot easier.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you," she stated simply.

Tristan rolled his eyes, laced his hands together and rested them on the back of his head. He was attempting to show that he was relaxed, that he had the situation under control. However, the hint of panic in his eyes suggested otherwise. He was scared and this _was_ his first incursion with the police, despite the picture that his step mom had painted of him. Lisbon knew that she meant him no harm - provided that he wasn't guilty, of course - but Tristan obviously didn't.

Briefly, she glanced at Jane, who was rifling through Tristan's CD collection, with his candy cane in his mouth. Sometimes, she had to question Jane's methodology, even if it did work. She understood that people's taste in music could say a lot about them, but Lisbon didn't necessarily believe that it would point towards whether or not somebody was a killer. Really, she suspected that it was just Jane being nosey. He liked people; liked to know everything about them, what made them tick. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the perpetual thorn in her side that he was. The one who wound up everyone, making her job simultaneously harder and easier.

"I think," Jane started, after pulling the candy cane out of his mouth. "That you're suffering from a lot of pent up rage. You're angry with your dad, the world and most importantly, yourself. You think it's your fault that you've had to move out, because you found family life intolerable."

"No."

"No?" Jane asked, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Well, maybe," Tristan admitted, albeit reluctantly, "but…"

"But?"

"It's Amie, isn't it? She was made out to be so perfect and…" Tristan stopped and shrugged his shoulders again.

"And?" Lisbon prompted.

"You shouldn't speak ill of the dead."

"Was Padgett her child?"

"Jane!" Lisbon chided.

"It's a legitimate question," he answered back.

"Really?" she retorted, believing that there should have at least been some kind of hint that he was going to suggest it first.

"Yes, he is," Tristan answered.

"See? I told you so," Jane said, triumphant.

"Oh hush," Lisbon said and turned to face Tristan. "Is the baby the reason you left home?"

"Yes. How could I live there, when dad and his wife were happily living a lie, for her?" Tristan spat angrily and stood up. "And what does my leaving have to do with her death, anyway?"

"She's looking for a motive," Jane answered him, not caring that Lisbon was frowning at him again. "Trying to work out whether or not you're responsible."

"And am I?"

Jane regarded him for a couple of seconds and Lisbon let out an insufferable sigh. Just because she understood Jane's methodologies, it didn't mean she necessarily approved of them. At least Tristan was responding better to Jane's blunt approach better than her softly, softly technique. And at least he hadn't tried to clam up even more and stopped responding entirely. If anything, since Jane had chosen to get more involved in the interview, Tristan seemed more relaxed. Probably because Jane's clownish techniques were less intimidating. Or something like that, anyway.

"I don't think so."

"Good. Because I'm not."

"Where were you between the hours of five and seven a.m. this morning?" Lisbon queried.

"Here. In bed. Sammy, my housemate, will confirm that."

Swiftly, Lisbon steered the conversation away from suggesting that Tristan had indeed been responsible for the murder of his stepsister. Instead, she questioned her relationships outside of the family home, if there was anyone who would have any interest in killing her. Her ex, Padgett's father, for example. What she was doing with her life, if she'd had any contact with Tristan since he'd moved out at all. Tristan answered the questions quickly, but Lisbon soon got the impression that there wasn't anywhere further they could go with it. At least he'd informed them that Padgett was Amie's biological son and that his father worked at the mall alongside her.

"Thank you for your time," Lisbon said politely as she stood.

"Don't leave town," Jane added and rifled through his pockets. "Think about spending time with your family over the holidays. And eat this candy cane. It'll make you feel better."

Dubiously, Tristan accepted Jane's gift and let the pair of them out. After they left the small apartment complex, Lisbon shoved her hands in her pockets as they ambled towards the car. Jane had started on his candy cane again and Lisbon wondered if he ever ate something that resembled a proper meal, or if it was all simply junk food. If it was, it might have explained his mood of late.

"I'm getting the impression that you seem to think the Christmas season is all about what you can eat."

"It isn't?" he answered back, his voice laced with faux-shock.

She shook her head. "No. It's about…"

Lisbon trailed off. They both knew exactly where she was headed and it made them both feel uncomfortable. Jane, because it reminded him of exactly what he was missing and Lisbon because she hated making Jane think about them, albeit unintentionally. What was worse was that she knew she was being hypocritical; it had been years since she had last actually kept her promise to spend Christmas with one - or all - of her brothers.

"Say it."

"Spending it with people you care about," she concluded, albeit rather lamely.

"That wasn't what you were initially going to say."

"No, it wasn't," Lisbon admitted.

"Why don't you spend the holidays with your family, Lisbon?"

She fell silent. Lisbon knew the exact reason why she didn't spend time with them. Firstly, her job. Yes, it was partially an excuse as everyone was meant to work their fair share of holidays. However, having no children tying her down, no loved one to share it with, Lisbon felt more obligated than most to work during the festivities. Somebody had to do it and besides, there was more pay in it. Then, and more importantly, there was the family rift. If she spent the holidays with Tommy and Annabeth, then her other brothers would resent her for it. And if she spent it with them, then Tommy would believe she was siding with them instead. In a way, it was simply easier to just toe the line between the three of them and hope that eventually, they would sort out their differences. Preferably, before it was too late.

Then again, she was seeing exactly what could happen if she didn't do something about it. If something were to happen to Tommy, or the others for that matter, then there could be no chance for reconciliation. They could simply be wasting time, hoping that one or the others stubbornness would give way first. Tristan obviously didn't hate his stepsister, he just appeared to hate the preferential treatment their parents had given him. Nor did he hate her as a person, just the fact that her problems had been swept under the carpet by them. Given half a chance and a long sit down to air out their differences, the Stevens family could have been reconciled. Instead, the chance had been stolen away from them.

Lisbon couldn't even remember what had driven the wedge between Tommy and his brothers now; it was probably something inane and trivial. Like the fact he had nearly thrown his life away thanks to his psycho ex. Or even something as simple as her bitter resentment of the fact Tommy couldn't seem to settle on a career to support himself and his daughter. Having no parents to rely on for guidance, all three of them had used her as the next best thing. Even now, when they were all supposedly responsible adults, the pressure sometimes felt a little too much.

"When was the last time you suggested that you all meet up, together?" Jane asked quietly and she didn't answer. "You can't remember?"

"No, I can't," she said stiffly.

"You should."

"I know, it's just…"

"Hard?"

"Yeah."

"What does Annabeth think about it? Does she even see her uncles?"

"Jane?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

When he didn't offer up a cheeky response, Lisbon was relieved. For a start, she was trying to concentrate on driving and yet his persistent attempts at trying to help were wearing thin. Yes, she knew her family had problems and she didn't need his constant reminders. It was something she could worry about later, when she was at home. After all, then, she would be preparing for Annabeth's imminent arrival and it would be appropriate. Instead, she needed to think about where the case should head to next. The ex-boyfriend was an obvious lead, something she needed to seriously consider. Jane making her think about her family was clouding her judgments.

When they arrived back at the CBI headquarters, Lisbon was irritated to discover that Arden O'Hanlon was still in holding, without having been charged. While they had solid evidence about him tampering with evidence, Cho wasn't entirely convinced that he hadn't been involved in the death somehow. That meant the man was getting increasingly irate as he was being kept away from his precious daughter and mall for even longer. Besides, they had to charge him soon; they had no rights to hold him indefinitely. The problem was, they needed to get it _right_ before moving on. However, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that the coroner's toxicology reports had returned. Van Pelt had immediately cornered her to deliver the good news. Quickly, she scanned the paper and frowned slightly.

"Mistletoe berries? The poison was mistletoe?"

"Yeah, it's a little weird," Van Pelt agreed with a nod.

"Well, it's novel. I knew the berries were toxic but I never thought it'd be involved in a case," Lisbon said.

"Wouldn't want a boring murder, especially not at this time of year," Jane interjected and both Lisbon and Van Pelt turned to look at him. "Very seasonal."

"I sometimes wonder about you, Jane."

"Liar."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. You're _always_ wondering about me."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh I didn't mean like that," Jane replied and smirked when Lisbon blushed a little.

"I wasn't thinking anything-"

"Guys," Van Pelt said quietly.

"-of the sort!"

"Guys!" she repeated, a little louder this time and they both turned to look at her.

Van Pelt was quite used to their little arguments; she'd worked with them for more than long enough. However, that didn't mean that she didn't always find them uncomfortable to listen to. There was something about the underlying tone in their exchanges that always suggested something more was going on between them. And while Van Pelt would never begrudge someone their happiness, it was all a little too raw after the O'Laughlin incident. Quickly, Lisbon apologized as they finished reading through the report. At least now they had the cause. All they had to do was identify who had access to mistletoe berries and who could have spiked Amie Stevens' food with it.

"I think we should get some mistletoe for the office," Jane remarked once the supposedly boring conversation was over. "It'd look lovely, don't you think?"

"No. It'll die before Christmas," Lisbon pointed out, still keen to make it clear that November was not technically the Christmas season.

"It could always be replaced. Besides, I think it would bring a little cheer into the office. And maybe a little something else..."

"Oh, now you're just asking for trouble," Lisbon growled as she followed Jane out of the room.

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Thought it about time I updated this little thing. After this chapter, there's only two more to go. By then, I should have another 20k fic ready and waiting to post.

Thank you to: TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme, SteeleSimz, anthropologist, mpenguin15, Aeidhryn and lolly2222 for reviewing part five.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Part Six<strong>

Lisbon was yawning when she arrived at work the next morning, with a polystyrene cup of coffee in hand. She had spent half the night straightening up her house, ready for Annabeth's impending arrival. Sometimes, she wondered just how the hell her place managed to get _so_ messy; she barely spent any time at home, really. After all, she never had any problems keeping her office tidy and she definitely spent way more waking hours there than in her own lounge.

She sighed. That was kind of a sad statistic, when she thought about it. Still, she headed straight to her office. Really, she needed to finish typing up her transcript of the interview with Tristan Stevens. Then, Lisbon had to consider how to locate the ex-boyfriend, Henry. And of course, throughout the entire day, she'd have to keep an eye on her watch, to make sure she was home in time to meet Annabeth.

The morning disappeared all too quickly. A meeting with Wainwright, updating him on the current case, ate the majority of her time; her young superior hadn't seemed to have heard of time-keeping skills just yet. Then, she had to discover where the team had gotten with O'Hanlon, to discover that the answer was merely 'not very'. His lawyer had attempted to justify his sabotage as him simply gathering together the deceased's belongings in order to return them to the girl's parents. In the end, they'd simply had to cut him loose and put him under surveillance. If something else popped, then maybe, they'd have a chance of working out what his role really was in the murder.

However, Van Pelt had brought up something interesting about O'Hanlon's daughter, Georgia. After interviewing her, apparently Van Pelt had done a quick bit of research. It turned out that the girl was currently dating the victim's ex, Henry. Naturally, that had immediately piqued both Jane's and her own interest and therefore, they were headed towards the boy's place, with Van Pelt in tow. After all, the youngest member of Lisbon's team had been partially responsible for digging out the potential motive and therefore, deserved to have the opportunity to play some part in chasing him down. Of course, the fact that he had dated both girls didn't mean that he - or Georgia - were responsible, it just meant it was something intriguing to look into.

"Jane?" Lisbon said as they pulled up in front of the O'Hanlon residence. "Jane!"

"Huh? What?"

"Do you want to put that away?"

She indicated towards the MP3 player that was clutched in his hands and the headphones firmly in his ears. When he eventually got the message, he nodded vigorously, paused whatever it was he was listening to and stared at her, with an uncharacteristically grumpy expression on his face.

"We're here."

"But I was listening to Nat King Cole."

"Not _The Christmas Song_, I hope," Lisbon replied, fighting against the urge to laugh.

"Yes, what else?" he answered back with a sudden, more atypical, smile.

"It's too early!"

She was surprised when Van Pelt joined in with the chorus. Lisbon had always thought that Van Pelt was the one who was most enthusiastic about holidays and the like, so the fact she actually agreed with her took her a little off-guard. Still, at least it was only Jane who seemed to refuse to see sense and that meant Van Pelt wouldn't be joining him in driving her slowly, but surely, insane with Christmas related nonsense.

"Oh, Van Pelt, not you too?"

"Not me, what?" she asked, oblivious.

"Never mind," Lisbon swiftly answered, leaving Van Pelt even more bemused as they climbed out of the car. "We've got a job to do."

As Jane stepped outside and stretched his back, a soccer ball came flying out of nowhere. It hit him square on the back of his head and Lisbon turned to see him stumbling a few steps. Quickly, she rushed to his side and with Van Pelt's assistance, helped to steady him. Unsurprisingly enough, he seemed pretty dazed and confused. Then again, the last time he'd received a knock to the head, he'd briefly slipped into unconsciousness and refused to accept any medical treatment. This time, however, Lisbon was determined that she was going to put her foot down. If he needed help - which he probably would - he was going to get it.

"I'm sorry, it was my-" somebody, a man no older than twenty, said, as he rushed up to join them.

Lisbon promptly ignored the boy; she'd deal with him later. Right now, she had to worry about looking after Jane and making sure that he saw sense.

"Jane. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Oh, pretty."

"What are?" Lisbon said, the concern laced in her voice. Briefly, she looked at her own hand, wondering what the hell he was referring to.

"The fireflies."

"It's the middle of the _day_; there are no fireflies."

"Are they string lights then?"

"There aren't any string lights either," she insisted and helped him sit back in the car. "I think you should go to the ER. Van Pelt?"

"Yes, boss?"

She handed Van Pelt the key to the CBI-issue vehicle quickly. "I want you to take him to hospital and make sure that he actually _sees_ somebody."

"Yes, boss."

It was a relief when she watched Jane and Van Pelt disappear off into the distance. Usually, Jane caused a fuss about being sent to see a medic and he had been surprisingly agreeable this time around. Briefly, she surmised that it was because the soccer ball had either been significantly larger than the baseball that had hit him previously, or that it had actually succeeded in knocking some sense into him. Still, she rounded on the boy who, despite being a good seven or so inches taller than her, cowered under her glare.

"We were just playing soccer out in the yard and-"

"Are you Henry Cousins?"

"Yes," he answered dubiously. "Why?"

"Teresa Lisbon, CBI. I need to talk to you and Georgia O'Hanlon about Amie Stevens."

"Oh," he answered, sounding small. "Oh. Yeah."

The look on his face suggested that he had expected her to come knocking sooner or later. Silently, he beckoned her towards the O'Hanlon residence, where Georgia was leaning up against the door, wondering what had distracted her boyfriend for so long. The frown on the girl's face deepened when she recognized Lisbon.

"Babe, this is Teresa-"

"I know who she is."

"Can I have a few words with you about Amie Stevens?" Lisbon asked politely, though she was already irritated by Georgia's obvious resentment.

"Didn't that red-haired chick ask everything you needed yesterday? When you were busy harassing my father?"

"Obviously not," she answered dryly.

With a shrug, Georgia let Lisbon inside and led her through to the lounge. There, she and Henry answered all of her questions as swiftly as possible before making it clear that Lisbon was no longer welcome. When she left, Lisbon frowned. She could have done with more information from the pair about their relationship and how Amie had slotted into it. She suspected that Henry had been fonder of Amie than he let on, but wouldn't tell her any more because of Georgia's presence. In a way, it was a shame Jane wasn't around. He always managed to coerce information out of young adults so easily. She, however, found it rather like trying to drain blood from a stone.

When Cho picked her up, she asked him to drop her off at home. While the rest of the team were busy working the case, she had spent longer than she had anticipated with the O'Hanlon girl and her boyfriend. She was already running late when it came to greeting Annabeth and she knew that her niece would be growing impatient. In reality, she knew that she probably should have cancelled this impromptu visit, but at the same time, she felt compelled to do it. Seeing Tommy so recently meant that she did feel like she should at least try and make more time for her family. Besides, all Jane's chatter about Christmas cheer made her realize that, despite the friction, she did need to see them at this time of year. It was the right thing to do, after all.

Of course, the last person she expected to greet her at home, along with Annabeth, was Jane. He was meant to be in hospital, being checked up for head injuries, after all.

Then again, being Jane, of course he wouldn't follow instructions. Sometimes, she wondered how she still managed to slip up around him. She always assumed that she'd known him for long enough not to fall for his silly mind games by now.

"Teaching my niece how to pick locks now? Classy," Lisbon remarked when Jane sprung up.

"Aunt Reese!" Annabeth said, almost squeaking as she did so. She hadn't expected Lisbon home quite so soon.

"It's not how it looks," Jane protested.

"Oh really? You were both crouched over it, with a bent paperclip in hand," she answered back, smiling a little. "I'd say it looks exactly like that."

"Well, okay, you're right, but in my defense," he started and took a couple of steps towards her. "It isn't breaking and entering. I had your key."

"And where did you get that, I wonder?"

"From your pocket?"

Automatically, she felt in her pocket for her personal keys, knowing full well Van Pelt had the one for the van. Lisbon rolled her eyes when she realized Jane was telling the truth and she snatched them back. Opening the door, she beckoned in both Annabeth and Jane. She wasn't angry, not really. This was the kind of parlor tricks she had expected of him. What she hadn't expected was that Jane would see her niece before she had a chance to today. Automatically, she headed towards the kitchen and dragged out three mugs. Coffee for herself and Annabeth, tea for Jane. There was no point in even asking. She knew exactly what they'd want.

"So, this is where you've been this afternoon?"

Jane shrugged. "I figured you'd be too distracted to meet Annie."

"I could have done with you, you know."

"Meh, you had it under control."

Lisbon raised a suspicious eyebrow and Jane ignored it. Instead, he handed her the milk and sugar, ready to make up the coffees.

"Or were you just avoiding being taken to the ER?" Lisbon asked him critically. "Because really…"

"What happened?" Annabeth piped up, excited at the concept of action. "Were guns-"

"No," Lisbon said, cutting her off. "He got hit round the head with a soccer ball."

Annabeth let out an undignified snort and leaned up against the counter. Lisbon watched as her niece's eyes danced with mirth at the concept of somebody as _cool_ as Jane doing something as idiotic as that. Then again, Annabeth barely knew Jane and didn't realize just the amount of mayhem he generally caused around the workplace.

"I have an aversion to sports," Jane remarked, causing Annabeth to laugh some more.

"Oh," she eventually said, when she'd calmed down. "How come you-"

"Annie…"

"Fine, I only wanted to help," Annabeth said, sounding dejected. "Can I borrow your laptop?"

"Go ahead."

"Thanks."

Quickly, she swiped her coffee and disappeared off into the lounge, leaving Jane and Lisbon alone. As he sipped at his tea, Lisbon eyed him warily. When he didn't grimace in disgust, she was almost proud. Jane was so fussy about his tea, that it was almost a miracle whenever somebody managed to prepare it just right for him. But still, his approval of her tea-making skills was neither here nor there. What was a concern was whether or not he was okay.

"I'm fine, Lisbon. There's no need to look so nervous."

"I'm not nervous," she said, quickly denying it.

"Oh sure you're not. Which is why you look like you're convinced I'm going to faint at any given moment."

"You received another serious head injury under my care."

"The doctors said I'm fine."

"Really? So if I call them…"

"You can ask Van Pelt, if you really don't believe me."

Lisbon sighed and placed her coffee down. Suddenly she wasn't in the mood.

"Why are you here?"

"I told you, to see Annie. I knew it'd be a while before you could leave the O'Hanlon's."

"Thanks. I guess."

He smiled as he finished his tea, albeit rather more quickly than he apparently would have liked. Lisbon continued to watch him nervously; though he insisted he'd received the all-clear and that he hadn't had any funny turns lately, she still couldn't be entirely sure. Besides, the brain was a strange organ. You could never be one hundred percent sure when it came to head injuries. What if the problems simply hadn't manifested themselves yet?

"I'd better be off, thanks for the tea," he said politely. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"No you won't" she started, as he disappeared through the door. "I have the day… off."

**TBC…**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Penultimate chapter. And to quote Avenue Q, it sucks to be me. That is all.

Thank you to: mpenguin15, TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme, Aeidhryn, anthropologist and Anna for reviewing part six.

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Part Seven<strong>

"I've been called into work."

The look of disappointment on Annabeth's face was obvious. It pained Lisbon considerably, but she had warned her that it might happen the night before. Lisbon had always known that the team might have wanted her back; whenever she attempted to take just one day of vacation, something always happened. It was hardly surprising that they had finally gotten their break in the Stevens case just when she was about to head out shopping with Annabeth.

"Really? But you said…"

"If I recall correctly, I said it's always possible that I'll be called into work, Annie," Lisbon interjected, but Annabeth still looked dejected

"I know, but I wanted to spend time with you."

"I know you did. I'm disappointed too."

"Can't you say you're sick or something?"

Lisbon snorted at the fact Annabeth was actively encouraging her to play hooky. Then again, she often seemed like a strange mix of her father and Jane, so therefore she knew that it was almost something to be expected. Still, it was almost surprising that a teenager was actively trying to spend time with an adult, rather than being pleased at the prospect of free time, alone.

"Next time you're here, I'll see if I can take you down the range," Lisbon suggested and Annabeth cheered up considerably. "Teach you how to handle a gun _properly_."

"I know how to shoot!"

"Your dad isn't as good as he likes to think he is."

"That's not fair!"

"Besides, it's always good to repeat the basics," Lisbon assured her but Annabeth continued pouting.

Shaking her head, Lisbon rifled through her pockets and quickly found her purse. Pulling out a fistful of notes, she shoved it into Annabeth's hands. The teenager brightened once more, before she counted out the money and frowned again.

"There's only fifty bucks here!"

"What do you think I am? Made of money?" Lisbon asked.

"But that won't cover all the Christmas presents I need to buy!" Annabeth protested, even though she knew her aunt was unlikely to relent.

"It's the thought that counts; you don't need to buy _that_ much," she answered back, before leading her towards the car. "Besides, doesn't your father give you pocket money?"

"Yes," Annabeth said, still sounding a little bitter. "You're right, I guess."

"You're meant to say thank you."

"Yeah, thanks."

Lisbon knew Annabeth didn't entirely meaning it, but given her age, that wasn't surprising. Instead of pushing the issue further, Lisbon prompted her to finish her breakfast so that they could get moving. She had promised Cho that she would get to work as soon as possible and could do without Annabeth's intentional attempts to slow things down.

Once they were finally on the move, the journey to the mall was quiet and unsurprisingly so. Lisbon nervously kept half an eye on Annabeth. It felt like it had been an age since she had last spent an extended period of time, alone, with the girl and yet, she was slowly but surely turning into a young woman. Had it really been fourteen years since Tommy had informed her that not only had he gone ahead with the shotgun wedding to his now-psycho ex, but they had a newborn daughter? It seemed like insanity, really. Annabeth sighed as she stared out of the window. Who knew what went through a teenage girl's mind these days?

Annabeth soon disappeared into the crowd, drifting off in the direction of the Santa's Grotto when Lisbon dropped her off at the mall. She didn't tell Annabeth that that was where the victim had died; Lisbon didn't want to encourage her. The girl got enough of that from her father (and Jane too, in the brief snatches whenever they interacted.) Deep down, Lisbon knew that she wouldn't be able to persuade Annabeth that being a cop wasn't all it was cracked up to be; she was driven to the point of giving herself an ulcer, when she wanted to be. Naturally, as she turned to drive back to the CBI headquarters, Lisbon refused to accept that that was a perfect description for herself too. She was a cop because she didn't know what else she was physically capable of doing and she hadn't even considered the alternatives. Therefore, Lisbon had to be driven, simply because otherwise she'd never have achieved anything. But Annabeth was capable of so much and had the chance to think outside of the box; she didn't need to sell her soul to the government simply to make a living. Not like she had done.

By the time she arrived back at work, Lisbon was mostly back in business mode. There was no point in her dwelling on the things she couldn't change; it would only succeed in making her feel like she was missing out on something. Instead, she chose to feel more optimistic. Being a cop was all she'd ever known, all she'd ever wanted to do and getting close to closing a case was always a good thing. When Cho had called her this morning, he'd sounded upbeat, for himself at least, and a little apologetic, as he'd known her plans. Still, if they could get it closed quickly, there was always the chance she could meet Annabeth for dinner in the evening or something.

"What's happened?"

Cho was the only one in the office and he placed a warrant for the O'Hanlon residence in her hands. Lisbon frowned slightly; had Arden O'Hanlon behaved suspiciously under surveillance? Or was it the daughter, Georgia?

"Juliette Mayer came in this morning. Confessed that she saw Georgia O'Hanlon fiddling with the girl's lunchbox at work the night before."

"Right."

Quietly, Lisbon hoped that if her friend was telling the truth, that she hadn't disposed of any evidence. Then again, half of her found that highly likely. She had visited the girl's home less than twenty-four hours previously and if Georgia was responsible in some way, then her first thought would have been getting rid of any clues. Then again, it could equally have been that the O'Hanlon girl had upset Juliette Mayer and she was looking to scare her. Or that Mayer was attempting to pin the blame on Georgia in attempt to get away with murder. Still, she hoped that something would come of this search. They could do with a lucky break once in a while.

Jane joined them in the van, just as they were about to head out. Lisbon hadn't even realized that he'd been at the headquarters still. As he hadn't been in the bullpen, reclining on his couch, she had simply assumed that he had decided to disappear off with Rigsby and Van Pelt. But then again, Jane hated surveillance with a burning passion and considered it a waste of police (and his) time. Given the option between sitting in a car and doing nothing or sitting in the office and bothering people trying to work, he chose the latter every single time.

"You okay, Jane?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You…"

"You're not still worried about that, are you?" Jane asked, almost sounding frustrated at her concern. "Honestly, woman, I'm fine."

She scowled and then promptly ignored him. The rest of the journey was mostly quiet and Lisbon was relieved of it. Though she had told herself to focus on work, her mind was uncharacteristically elsewhere. Lisbon had steeled herself for the disappointment of not spending time with Annabeth, but somehow, that hadn't been enough. Really, she was still resentful of the fact that Cho had called her in. The case was seemingly simple enough, but she did understand Cho's desire for backup. If O'Hanlon slipped through Rigsby and Van Pelt's fingers, it was entirely possible that he could wreak havoc at his family home.

When they were back at the O'Hanlon's home, Jane promptly disappeared. Lisbon had tried to tell him not to go wandering off, but she had known that even if he'd heard her, he probably wouldn't have listened anyway. Instead, she knocked on the door and promptly called out to the inhabitants. Instead of getting an answer, she and Cho heard the distant sounds of a screaming fact. Straining to listen, Lisbon heard them getting increasingly louder. In response, her heart started thumping loudly as the adrenalin rushed through her system; this was at the very least a domestic situation. At worst, it was entirely possible that there were weapons involved. After all, there had been a couple of death threats thrown into the tirade of abuse they'd just been forced to listen to.

"Do you think…" Lisbon said, trailing off and Cho nodded.

She liked the fact that Cho was almost always on the same wavelength

"On the count of three," she murmured and Cho removed his own gun from its holster. "One, two, three."

Cho expertly kicked the door down with ease and Lisbon was first through it. Steadying her gun, she walked through the rooms, making sure each and every one was clear. When she reached the kitchen, however, there were two inhabitants: Juliette Mayer and Henry Cousins. They were both unarmed, but looked fairly shaken up. Wordlessly, Lisbon holstered her gun as Cho entered the room behind her.

"Georgie, she, she…" Juliette stuttered. "I should never have…"

"Never have what?" Lisbon prompted.

"Told you that it's her fault."

"Why?"

"Because she's pregnant; she said she's going to kill herself," Juliette muttered, staring at the ground. "She feels bad."

"Where'd she go?"

"The back yard."

Immediately, Cho exited via the back door and Lisbon soon followed, but not without telling the pair not to go anywhere. If they were telling the truth, then at the very least, they were witnesses. Besides, by the sounds of it, Georgia O'Hanlon needed help more than anything else. Like Amie, she was young, pregnant and not in the most stable of relationships. Unfortunately, it was looking more and more likely that she had also committed a crime in a fit of anger. Something which, naturally, was adding to the stress of her current situation.

Once outside, she saw Cho holding back. Jane was talking to the girl soothingly and the last thing they wanted to do was disturb them. Eventually, when he beckoned them forwards, Lisbon took a few steps closer and observed Georgia carefully. She was obviously distressed and wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. Nervously, she looked down at her hands, where she was holding a bottle of water and a Rudolph soft toy. She seemed almost surprised to find them in her possession.

Meanwhile, in Jane's hands were a bag of mistletoe berries and a knife.

Lisbon snatched the items out of his hands and handed them to Cho, who placed them in evidence baggies. She didn't need him to tell her that he had somehow managed to persuade her to switch items with him, though where he'd been hiding the stuffed Rudolph, she didn't want to know. With practiced ease, Lisbon instructed the girl to get onto her knees, cuffed her and read out the Miranda rights. Stubbornly, she ignored the girl's sobbing. Though Lisbon did feel sorry for her, murder was murder. She couldn't just let her walk away simply because she was pregnant and hormonal. The law just didn't work like that.

"And how did you know that that was going to happen?"

"Eh, it was kind of obvious."

"Care to fill in the gaps?"

"Julie is far to faithful a friend; she liked both Amie and Georgia. It was only natural that she felt wracked by guilt the moment Georgia told her she was responsible," Jane explained patiently. "But after confessing, she felt _also_ guilty because she betrayed Georgia's trust."

"So she gave Georgia the choice to try and escape before we got there with the search warrant?"

"Obviously."

In a way, Lisbon was glad that they had found some answers. At least it meant the day she was meant to be spending with Annabeth hadn't been entirely wasted. However, she also knew that she would have to get Rigsby and Van Pelt to call Arden O'Hanlon back in. After all it was looking likely that he had been attempting to cover up the crime for his daughter, make it appear that the mistletoe berries had somehow gotten into Amie Stevens' system through some other source. And then, they would have to question the both of them. Who knew how long that would take?As soon as they got back to the headquarters, she called her niece. She knew that Annabeth would love the excuse to spend some time with her at work. Besides, if she knew Annabeth well enough, that meant she would probably have spent all the money she'd been given and would probably be getting bored. By suggesting that she spent some time at the headquarters, at least then she would receive some sort of entertainment from Jane until she could sign the case off.

Then maybe, just maybe, Lisbon would have her weekend back.

**TBC…**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** As I have not one, but two, Mentalist Big Bang fics to get on with posting, I thought I better get this last chapter up. After all, it is getting horrendously out of season again. However, I swear it wasn't when I wrote it!

Thank you to: Aeidhryn, TwilightLover-CarlisleandEsme, mpenguin15 and anthropologist for reviewing part seven.

Here's hoping you like the final part...

x tromana

* * *

><p><strong>Part Eight<strong>

Intentionally, Lisbon mostly left the questioning of Georgia O'Hanlon up to Rigsby and Cho. She knew that their good cop, bad cop act would probably be the most effective way to get the confession out of the girl. Though she had been caught red handed, as it were, her actually admitting to the crime was the last thing they needed to ensure the case was airtight. All in all, Lisbon was pretty pleased with just how smoothly the case had gone. Yes, it looked like Arden O'Hanlon was covering for his daughter and they were in the midst of filing charges of perverting the course of justice against him, but it could have been a lot more complicated.

Sometimes, that made Lisbon worry a little. After all, if things appeared too easy, that was when Jane would throw a curve ball. State that they had the wrong man in custody and he'd set it up as an elaborate trick in order to get the real killer to reveal him or herself. Or he'd just have been bored throughout and actively made things all the more difficult for them, simply to try and entertain himself at the expense of others. More often than not, Lisbon was unintentionally in the firing line with that one.

Almost on cue, Jane ambled into her office and made himself at home on the couch. Instinctively, Lisbon glanced upwards before returning her gaze to the form she was filling in. Sometimes, it was for the best to let Jane do the talking; he could never stay quiet for long if he had something he really wanted to say. Besides, sometimes she just didn't want to poke the proverbial beast. Who knew what would happen if she actively encouraged Jane and what mood he was in? Anyway, she really just wanted to get done. The sooner she did so, the sooner she could resume her weekend with Annabeth.

"Don't you want to know why I'm in here?"

"Apart from bothering me, you mean?" Lisbon quipped and Jane's face dropped ever so slightly before he realized she was joking. "You're not about to say we've arrested the wrong person and I cannot sign off on this, are you?"

The suspicion in her voice was obvious. If that were the case, it wouldn't have been the first time that Jane had led her up the proverbial garden path. Nor would it have been the first time that she had very nearly sent an innocent person to jail, because Jane had either made a mistake and wouldn't own up to it or simply as part of an elaborate ruse. When he broke out into a smile, she hoped for the best; that he was just winding her up a little for his own amusement. However, she couldn't help but acknowledge that nagging feeling that he was smiling because she'd been _right_ and had seen his plan before he'd announced it.

"No need to be so suspicious, my dear," he said lightly before stretching out luxuriously. "Cho's just got the confession from Georgia. He's about to start working Daddy O'Hanlon to finish up that loose end."

"Is that all?"

"And you have a niece waiting in the bullpen," he added, as if that were an afterthought.

"Why didn't she just come through?" Lisbon asked, still eyeing Jane warily.

"I believe it's because she's cornered Wainwright. Something about work experience?"

Jane shrugged his shoulders theatrically before flopping down into a lying position. As he did so, Lisbon sprang to her feet. The last thing she needed was Annabeth planting seeds in Wainwright's head. The man seemed convinced by the concept of management by numbers; the last thing they needed was a fourteen year old giving him 'bright ideas' for publicity. And that was all that work experience at the CBI would be: an elaborate publicity stunt. One that would, no doubt, increase the workload of all the senior agents considerably. The other leading agents would never forgive her if any of them got lumbered with Annabeth Lisbon for a week or two.

And she wouldn't forgive Jane for that matter, either.

Because even though Annabeth had been the one to bring up the concept, she wouldn't have put it past him to plant the idea in her head. After all, they had probably exchanged cell phone numbers behind her back, simply so that Jane could teach Annabeth more party tricks in attempt to get embarrassing tidbits about her aunt's personal life.

"Annie!"

Lisbon was relieved to see her slouched on Jane's couch, laden with shopping bags. The girl looked bored stiff and unsurprisingly so. Annabeth broke out into a smile when she saw Lisbon approaching and quickly gave her a short and slightly awkward hug in response. Lisbon, meanwhile was simply relieved to see that Wainwright was nowhere in sight and silently, she hoped that wasn't because he'd been and gone.

"Why didn't you come through to my office?"

"Patrick told me not to."

"Patrick?" Lisbon echoed, slightly surprised.

"It's his name," Annabeth replied with a shrug. "Besides, Jane makes him sound like a girl."

"I know," Lisbon groaned, but she couldn't help it. It wasn't her fault that Jane had a slightly unfortunate surname for his line of work. "In future, don't listen to a word he says."

"Why not?"

"Usually, he's lying or trying to trick you. Or both."

"Yeah, I got that years ago."

"How?"

"From your constant complaining about him!" Annabeth said, sounding strangely excited and exasperated at the same time. "Are you sure you don't, you know?"

"Am I sure I don't what?" she asked, bemused.

"Have a thing for him. He is kinda hot," the girl admitted, before adding, "for an old man."

"Annabeth!" Lisbon retorted, shocked.

"_Annie_."

"Annie. That's inappropriate."

"How so?"

"He's a work colleague."

"So?"

Lisbon shook her head. Sometimes, there was no explaining this kind of thing to the girl. She was a typical teenager; over stimulated on caffeine and over excited by the most ridiculous of things. She was probably semi-hoping that her aunt had _finally_ found someone to settle down with, if only so she could be a bridesmaid at the wedding and wear a pretty ball gown. Or something like that, anyway. Annabeth didn't always particularly seem like the nice dresses type of girl.

"Anyway. Patrick said I shouldn't come through because you were working on boring, confidential stuff. Was he lying about _that_?"

"Actually, no," Lisbon conceded, "but you could have disturbed me. It was only paperwork."

"Oh. How much longer will you be?"

"Depends on how long Cho is questioning a suspect. As soon as he gets a confession-"

"Will he?"

"Probably, but that's not up for discussion," Lisbon said swiftly and naturally, Annabeth looked disappointed at the fact she wasn't being offered even the smallest shred of gossip. "As soon as Cho's done with that suspect and I've signed off the paperwork, then we can go."

"What should I do until then?"

"Get Jane to teach you something?"

"Like what? You didn't like the picking pockets or locks…"

"Something harmless," Lisbon said quickly, racking her brains. "Like card tricks. Jane knows thousands of them."

"I bet he doesn't."

"Why not ask?"

Annabeth seemed happy enough with the concept of spending time with Jane and Lisbon was relieved. Especially so as Jane appeared more than happy to play ball too. Jane often thrived in the company of children, whatever their age. However, Lisbon knew that Annabeth would have been less than impressed for referring to her as a child still. But it didn't matter; she was her aunt. Part of her would always think of Annabeth as a little girl. At least Jane teaching her card tricks kept them both out of her hair for as long as necessary.

It didn't turn out to be too long at all, either. Within two hours she had two confessions on her desk. One from Arden O'Hanlon, admitting to tampering evidence in attempt to protect his teenage daughter. That he had also not noticed the deterioration in Amie Stevens' condition and sought out medical attention for her in the hours prior to her death. The other, from Georgia, stating the reasons why she had killed Amie Stevens. Apparently, it was down to the fact that Henry had been dating Georgia when he fathered Amie's son. And since then, she had accepted Henry back with open arms and fallen pregnant herself. The hormones had messed up her system and she'd thought that mistletoe berries would have just made Amie sick, not poisoned her. It was a sad situation; half a family was going to jail over little more than jealousy. That and a baby was going to be born behind bars because of mistakes his or her mom had made before they had even been born.

Still, at least it was done and quickly too. And without most of Jane's stupid mind games and tricks leading to a pile of lawsuits for her to try and prevent happening. That had to be a win, of sorts, didn't it?

Somehow, when she finally left the CBI headquarters, with Annabeth in tow, Jane had managed to invite himself along. Lisbon wasn't quite sure how that happened, but quietly she assumed that it was her niece and consultant ganging up on her. But considering just how much they were seeming to get out of each other's company, Lisbon just couldn't say no to it. Besides, however much she told herself otherwise, Lisbon did like Jane and did enjoy spending time with him. Annabeth's wish to spend longer with him this weekend made the perfect excuse for Lisbon to do so as well.

And it was the holiday season, almost. The time of year which you spent with people you cared about. Lisbon knew she cared about Jane, after all, somebody had to. He didn't really have anybody else.

They went out for dinner, to celebrate closing the case. The others had gone for closed case beers, not really appropriate for fourteen year old to tag along with, so instead, she took Jane and Annabeth for pizza. It was intentional; pizza had always been one of Annabeth's favorites and she thought her niece deserved that at they very least. She still needed to make it up to her after bailing out on the shopping and dinner was the least she could do. It was all too easy for Lisbon to feel guilty about not spending enough time with her family, now more so than ever. She wasn't getting younger and Lisbon knew all too well how something like family could be stolen from underneath your feet. All she had to do was look at Jane for evidence of that.

But Jane was happy for a change and Lisbon suspected (and hoped) that it wasn't merely the mask he wore far too often. He couldn't stop smiling amidst the easy banter and the tricks so impressive that even a cynical fourteen year old couldn't help but be amazed by the magic. It seemed only natural that he followed them home. The night was still young and Lisbon was learning the hard way that Annabeth was something of a night owl. It would be hours before she needed to sleep and Jane, well, he barely slept at all.

"Do you have any red wine, Lisbon?""Yes, why?"

She dug out the bottle and handed it over. Without a word, he dug out a saucepan, poured the wine in and added a few herbs and spices. Almost immediately, Lisbon worked out what he was doing. Obviously, he still wasn't quite over his Christmas kick.

"Oh, mulled wine!" Annabeth said excitedly, peering over the saucepan. "Can I have some?"

"No!" Lisbon interjected before Jane could say otherwise.

"But…"

"Would apple juice make an ideal alternative," Jane offered. He knew all too well that Lisbon wouldn't relent, not after the damage alcohol had already done to the Lisbon family. "I used to make it for…"

The words died in the air, but Jane didn't have to finish it. Annabeth knew Jane's story almost as well as Lisbon herself did. Tales about Jane had been what Lisbon had used to keep her niece entertained for years. Still, Annabeth nodded at the offer. Everyone knew she would have preferred the alcoholic version, but she wasn't going to be allowed that until she was older.

Within five minutes, Jane had poured out the three glasses. Two of the deep red wine and one of mulled apple juice. Quickly, he handed out the drinks and Lisbon automatically inhaled the aroma. Though it still felt distinctly out of season for her, she had to admit, it was a good idea. And when else was she going to get a chance to spend time with Annabeth before Christmas. With a smile, Jane clinked his glass against both of theirs, the sound cheerfully filling the room.

"Happy Holidays, Lisbons."

"Happy Holidays," Annabeth echoed before drinking a sizeable portion of her juice.

"Don't make me say it."

She looked pleadingly at both Jane and Annabeth, who put down their drinks and crossed their arms in sync. Immediately, Lisbon knew that they wouldn't take no for an answer. Damn them. Damn them both. She should have left Jane back at work, let him feed and entertain himself for the night.

"Happy Holidays. I guess."

end


End file.
